Pages

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

I can still remember the day I
got my driver’s license.It was a sunny,
snowy Saturday morning in late 1989.I
had been taking lessons from a local driving school (I’ll leave names out of it
so as to spare anybody excessive emotional pain).These lessons generally consisted of me being
picked up by the instructor at my house.I would then putter around town for about an hour and be dropped back
off.Anyone who knows me at all knows
I’m of a rather nervous disposition at the best of times.Now imagine that sort of personality in the
driver’s seat of a car with an equally anxious fellow in the instructor’s seat.If you remember what Keith Coogan’s character had to go through in 1987’s Hiding Out, this was like that but less jovial.At any rate, after whatever number of mandated
outings with the instructor, we mutually decided it was time to end our relationship
by getting me the hell out of his lack of hair.Since we had a snow storm the day before my exam, I had to drive an
extra twenty minutes to the only place that was open for road tests that day,
thus forcing us to spend that much more time in each other’s company.After earning that prized sliver of laminated
card stock, my instructor and I headed back to my house.As I was being released from my bondage, he
made sure to register his lack of faith in my then-current level of skill
behind the wheel and suggested that I should drive with an experienced motorist
for a few more months.I thanked him for
his time, proceeded to ignore his sage advice, and have regretted none of it to
this day.I can’t honestly say I’m the
world’s greatest driver, but sometimes good is good enough.Like this week’s film.

Weapons manufacturer Kang Wan and
his mercenary army are gearing up for war from their ultra-high-tech
headquarters.But in order to dominate
the world, he absolutely must have the plans to Colonel Dave’s (Krung Srivilai) brand-spanking new
battle truck, the ultra-high-tech Cobra
Thunderbolt.Needless to say, Dave
doesn’t feel like complying, which forces Kang Wan to resort to more nefarious
methods of persuasion.Dick (Sorapong Chatri), a former soldier
under Dave’s command while stationed in Laos, and Dave’s own daughter,
Lieutenant Molly, pitch in their own unique skills to bring justice to the
power-mad wannabe warlord.

Airwolf, Blue Thunder,
the Landmaster from Damnation Alley (this
is only a partial list, admittedly), are all part of a lineage of super vehicles
that became wildly popular starting in the late Seventies.Yes, there were vehicles that exuded
personality before then: the 1966 Batmobile, Star Trek’s Enterprise, and the Seaview from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, just to name a few.The thing that separates those earlier vehicles
from something like the Thunderbolt in my mind is in the relationship between
the machines and the people who pilot them.Going into the Eighties, these vehicles became far more utilitarian in
purpose.They were still tricked out
like crazy, but they tended to be rooted in some form of reality.Their pilots were forthright and steadfast in
their resolve.They were very much men
with a mission.There were exceptions
like Knight Rider, but even with that
one, there is a sense that Michael Knight and KITT work best together, and that
is their strength.Batman can vanquish
the Joker without his car.Michael
cannot take down Goliath without KITT.

Concepts like Cobra Thunderbolt
are high tech weapons.Conversely, their
operators need to be old school warriors, because it’s the synthesis formed
between the two which creates an optimal efficiency between them.Like a sniper and his favorite rifle, certain
people work better with certain machines than with others.Dick and Molly understand Dave’s technology,
so they’re the best equipped to operate it.The idea is that putting any old person behind the wheel wouldn’t produce
the same results.There is a (God help me
for using this word) synergy that is generated, and even if the personality of
the driver is rather blandly drawn (as they most assuredly are here), the
effect the two have on screen as a unit is evident.You could likewise argue that part of why the
new tech/old soldier dynamic works so well is due to the stoicism of the human
element.The repression of emotions in
service of a goal encourages a smooth interface between human and machine.This is not to say pilots lack emotion.They simply exercise greater discipline in
controlling and compartmentalizing them than the average person, and some part
of a viewer’s mind admires this.

Cards on the table, I am very
inexperienced in the world of Thai films, and I have to say I’m fairly comfortable
with that.From what I have seen up to
this point, the product can be a real crap shoot.Thus, I’m okay with letting others traverse
the mine field of highs and lows in Thai cinema and then cherry picking what I watch
from their reports.In saying that, I’m
also ignorant as to the breadth of strong female roles in Thai films.Yet, we get two in Tanong Srichua’s (one and only, according to IMDb) film.Molly is a soldier through and through.She drives the Cobra Thunderbolt for her
father’s tests, and she doesn’t show much in the way of inner weakness.Her mother (whom I never caught a name for,
and while I’m at it, you may have noticed a lack of attribution between actors
and characters; Despite my best efforts, these kinds of things tend to be
nebulous at best to research on the internet; Yet another reason I’m happy to
let others trudge through the murk of Asian film credits) is skilled as a Thai
boxer, a samurai swordswoman, and other martial arts.To her, these skills are more important for a
woman than learning to put on makeup.Between this attitude and the lack of rape-y situations in the film, I
found this to be quite refreshing, especially since genre films from this nape
of the woods can tend to be rather misogynistic.Naturally, Molly looks up to her mother because
of her strength, and we get the impression she would like to live up to this
model.Nonetheless, unlike her mother,
who does maintain a nice sense of balance between femininity and masculinity
(though she really doesn’t have tons of screen time), Molly is almost
sexless.She could as easily have been
played by a man, and in some sense this could be viewed as a leveling of the
field.Not that the story really gives a
shit one way or the other.The film
consists of the sort of coincidental writing which can be seen in a vast array
of Asian films of this ilk.I’ll give
you an example.While Dick is eluding
some pursuers, he is picked up by a woman in a car.Mere seconds later, he spots Dave’s van on
the other side of the road (Dave had no idea that Dick would be in this area,
or if so, we are never informed of this) and hooks up with his old commanding
officer.The film is littered with
incidents like this, but, even if you’ve only seen a few Asian films from this
era, it’s not unexpected.In fact, it’s
probably more than half the charm.

MVT:The Cobra Thunderbolt
is a low grade hodgepodge affair of a vehicle (and film), but it is just
distinctive enough that it does what it needs to do: it captures the eye and
keeps the viewer watching to see what it will accomplish.

Make or Break:Without
spoiling things, there is a major turn around the midpoint of the film.What occurs at this moment is not terribly
surprising (in the sense of genre expectations).How this moment plays out, however, is not
only out of the blue, but also jaw-droppingly over the top, and it actually
made me sit up in my chair.Well played.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Ruggero Deodato’s Cut and Run
(aka Inferno in Diretta aka Straight to Hell) opens with a vicious attack
on a jungle drug lab by loincloth-clad natives led by topless madman, Quecho (Michael Berryman).Waiting in the wings for the narcotics is
Colonel Horn (the late Richard Lynch)
and his amphibious plane.Meanwhile in
Miami, reporters Fran (the late Lisa
Blount) and Mark (Leonard Mann)
stumble upon another drug-related massacre while investigating a smuggling
ring.The duo talk their way into a
travel assignment to probe deeper on the premise that their search will also
turn up TV exec Bob’s (Richard Bright)
missing scion Michael (Willie Aames).Naturally, this is a great idea, and will
turn out just fine and dandy.

Cut and Run is an Action film.It is a Cannibal film (in texture if not content).It is a Survival film.It is a Cult film (in the zealotry sense of
the word).You’ll notice that’s a lot of
influences.You’ll also notice that
sounds like an awful lot to try and pack into a ninety minute film.And you would be right.For as much as this is any one of the things
it wants to be at any given point in its runtime, it doesn’t completely satisfy
that facet before it leaps to the next one.The film begins with a strong action scene.The natives and Quecho are brutal, terrifying
in their animal ferocity, yet the filmmakers cut around some of the “money
shots.”They take the time to show the
natives strip and attack two women and then cut away at the moment of their
fate.Yes, we get an aftermath shot, but
it feels like a whole lot of build up to not much payoff.And this is the general approach to almost
every scene in the film.It’s not simply
that they exit scenes early.They exit
scenes prematurely, and so the viewer is left dangling.Interestingly, there are some extremely
graphic splatter effects later in the film.Yet, what they chose to show and what they chose to edit around is
baffling, because it doesn’t feel motivated in the slightest.Coming from a director who is best known for
one of the most notorious Splatter films ever (Cannibal Holocaust, in case you were wondering), this backing off
on the grue is a letdown.

Further to this, the hopscotch
approach by the filmmakers is a detriment to the narrative.For example, Michael cares for fellow
prisoner Ana (Valentina Forte).He watches her be used for the pleasure of
any man Vlado (John Steiner)
wishes.He does nothing to stop this
(and it should be noted, Aames’
character does little more than mewl whenever he’s on screen).He connects with her afterward in a very
cursory way.They get split up.They meet their individual fates.The various arcs in the film have beginnings
and endings, but they lack any real sense of development before they finish.Consequently, there is no resonance and very
little gratification.And this doesn’t
just apply to Michael and Ana’s story.The whole reason the audience is willing to take the journey to the
jungle in the first place is because we want to see what Horn and his minions
are planning.But even after we get any
kind of an explanation, we still have no idea what the hell is going on; the
reason given is as nebulous as the course Fran and Mark followed to get
there.It’s like having a comic book
with all but the first two and last two pages torn out, and the last two are
sliced down the middle besides.The art
may be appealing.What writing you take
in may be entertaining, but that doesn’t change your feeling of being cheated
(or maybe just frustrating your desire for completion).With a little bit more connective tissue, a
tiny bit more fleshing out, and a tighter focus on the end goal, this could
have been a great film.Inexplicably,
what the film does give you is certainly enjoyable up to a point.However, by continually pulling the rug out
from under our expectations, the film ultimately only ever confounds.Despite my kvetching, however, I have to say
I will almost definitely revisit this film at some point, and I dare say I’ll
find something to like when I do.Nevertheless, anyone coming to this movie for the first time really needs
to do so with lowered expectations.

As with Deodato’s aforementioned gutmuncher classic, there is an element in
Cut and Run about the media.When Fran and Mark come upon the initial
bloodbath in Florida, they do what we expect from the media: they film a report
detailing the carnage, exploiting it.Later, they will do this again as they send transmissions from the
jungle back to America.Unlike the
despicable characters in Cannibal
Holocaust, Fran and Mark do not facilitate the butchery they are in the
midst of, yet they impassively dwell on it, leer at it.By following the “if it bleeds, it leads”
ethos to the letter, they surrender part of their humanity.They never really do what’s “right” outside
of their documentation of their experiences.Of course, the viewer becomes complicit in this dehumanization because
this is what we want to see from the comfort of our seats.Additionally, it should be noted that Horn’s
interaction with Mark and Fran is a form of punctuation on this.He has the reporters film his statement of
purpose (it doesn’t matter that it’s head-scratchingly vague) because he knows
that this is the only way to be heard in this world.For years, he hid away, believed dead, but
Horn understands that through the media his thoughts can live on and perhaps
inspire others to follow.To be fair,
this most likely will never happen since his words and deeds seem contradictory
and unconvincing, but that he wants his actions filmed for posterity forces
viewers to confront how they interact with the media, to some degree or
another.

Similarly, there are themes of
idolatry.Horn was a follower of the
infamous Jim Jones, and Horn’s own cult
among the natives is an extension of that.Like Kurtz in Heart of
Darkness/Apocalypse Now, Horn is, for all intents and purposes, a god to these
people.He understands the value of
showmanship to promote his brand of cultism to his select few, but he also
appears to be a true believer.He wants
to keep these people “pure,” and he feels that the outside world, especially
the media, has brought nothing but contamination into the jungle.Despite this, Horn claims no ultimate
wisdom.He states, “There are no
answers.Only actions.By our actions, we are judged, pure or
unholy.”It’s an intriguing enough
philosophy on its surface, but how Horn draws it to its final conclusion belies
his words.He thinks he’s showing members
of the electronic jury a true path, but what he is actually doing is giving
them more of what they want.I do think
the filmmakers have things like this to say in Cut and Run, but the questions they want to raise are muddled by
the schizophrenic film that surrounds them.Like I said, it’s confounding.

MVT:Deodato is quite adept at manufacturing atmosphere, and Cut and Run certainly has a palpable
texture to it.It’s just laid over top
of seriously shaky foundations.

Make or Break:The opening
assault is impressive.Its culmination
is indicative of what to expect: simultaneous highs and lows.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

I can honestly remember a time
when vampires scared me.Christopher Lee’s intense portrayal of
Dracula in the Hammer films hit me like a ton of bricks.I watched in queasy astonishment as the
upraised, juicy, blood-tinged bite marks of his victims were unveiled on
screen.Even while watching such films
on Creature Double Feature in the
bright light of a Saturday afternoon (okay, in a darkened basement; work with
me here), my skin crawled.After
watching Tobe Hooper’s adaptation of
Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, I slept with the covers pulled up right to my chin
(because, y’know, vampires are incapable of pulling covers down to get at the warm,
succulent necks of chubby Horror fans).While there has always been a sexual component to most neck-biter works,
they rarely failed to be frightening as well.Vampires are, after all, monsters.They prey on the living.Their
whole world view is bathed in blood.Over time, the sensual angle came more and more to the forefront, as did
the emphasis on their superhuman abilities.Vampires have gone from being twisted bastardizations of humanity,
lurking around fog-shrouded graveyards and raining death down upon their
victims to angst-ridden, love-struck superheroes, who you wouldn’t mind tipping
back a drink with if they just so happened to drink…wine (or whatever their
non-sanguinary tipple preference would be).I’m not going to point to any one example or franchise as being the turning
point in this regard, because things like this are usually a progression of
events rather than spontaneous occurrences.And there are vampire stories today that keep the creatures’ ghoulish
origins close to their hearts, to be fair.It’s just that the balance of power (so to speak) has shifted.Here’s to hoping it shifts back before the
day I die.

While investigating Halley’s
Comet up close, the crew of the S.S. Churchill discovers a large spaceship
hidden in its tail.Inside the ship are
crystal sarcophagi containing two handsome young males (Chris Jagger and Bill Malin)
and one astounding young female (Mathilda
May), all very naked (and some bat things, but we all know what the
astronauts would rather investigate).When the space shuttle is eventually found burnt out in Earth’s orbit
like an interstellar Demeter, the
crystals and their contents are brought back to the European Space Research
Centre.And Hell is soon unleashed upon
the planet.

Hooper’s Lifeforce is a
mash-up of genres, in much the same way that its clearest predecessor, Mario Bava’s Planet of the Vampires is.They both involve creatures which have the attributes of classic
vampiric legends but with Science Fiction trappings.Both also attempt to come up with a reason
why vampires were ever “invented” as boogeymen on our planet.I’m a sucker for Cosmic Horror of this
variety, though I think that Lifeforce
leans more toward the Cosmic side than the Horror side.It also ramps up the sexuality angle, making
this one something of a triple threat.May’s Space Girl spends a large portion
of her screen time in the buff, and it is her relationship with Steve Railsback’s Colonel Carlsen that
is the prime driving force for the plot.In an odd way, you could look at this as a reversal of the traditional
Dracula/Mina Harker seduction trope.It’s
not quite as clean-cut as that, but we’ll come back to that issue later.Carlsen has nightmares where he has sex with the
Space Girl (what torture).Her first
words in the film are “use my body,” and she then proceeds to suck a man dry via
liplock (not of blood, though; see the film’s title for further
reference).Carlsen behaves as if he
doesn’t want anything to do with her, even though his first contact with her
left him “invigorated.”After Carlsen
has a psychic vision of the Space Girl (in another woman’s body now) seducing a
middle-aged man, he behaves like he’s jealous.Their story is a romantic chase (boy meets girl, boy loses girl, girl
gets boy), though for as much as they want to come together, they don’t want to
come together.The Space Girl beckons
him to her, though their consummation can only end in either total victory or
total destruction.

There are other sexual aspects to
the film other than this gender reversal.The spaceship that houses the space vampires is shaped vaguely like a
penis.Its interior (which is likened to
the inside of an artery) is also reminiscent of a vaginal canal.The entry to where the crystals are kept
opens accompanied by blinding light, revelatory in its connotations as the
“promised land” in sexual terms (as well as a signpost to ultimate knowledge).When Carlsen enters it, the camera is turned
upside down, the same as his world and his perspective on it are about to be.After an encounter between Dr. Bukovsky (Michael Gothard) and the Space Girl, he
describes her as “the most overwhelming [sexual] feminine presence.”This intensity of female sexuality is
horrifying to (most) males.The male
vampires, by contrast, don’t appear to have the same powers of seduction.They are more blunt instruments, knocking
stuff around as if with their bare penises (which are never shown on screen in
case you were wondering).More
interesting, these monsters pass on their vampirism to the humans that they
kill, and this evokes notions of sexually transmitted diseases, specifically
HIV/AIDS, in how this is displayed visually.They becomes husks, wasted away.When
the human victims come back to life, they, of course, seek out the lifeforce of
others.If they cannot get it, they dry up,
rot out, and eventually explode in a cloud of biological desiccation.Unfortunately, this element is treated as
little more than a “zombie apocalypse” device in the film.

Which brings me to the problems I
have with the film.Being an adaptation
of a novel (The Space Vampires by Colin Wilson), you can expect a certain
amount of either streamlining or sprawling in terms of the plot.With the former, you stand the chance of
losing some of the more intriguing elements.With the latter, you stand the chance of losing focus entirely.And unfortunately, that is the case
here.There is a ton of exposition
running through this film, and it is delivered by men basically standing around
the Space Research Centre, observing some admittedly engaging events unfolding right
in front of them.We could probably call
this the Kaiju Expositional Device (or KED), since it’s a common complaint of films
involving giant, Japan-crushing monsters.Railsback does the film no
favors, since his usual “smolder/explode” method of acting is on full display,
and rather than conveying the conflict within his character’s mind, he simply
comes off as overwrought and cranky.The
logic gaps in the plotting refuse to be sewn up, no matter how much you stretch
your thinking to make the ends meet.The
majority of characters outside of Carlsen and the Space Girl (including Peter Firth’s Colonel Caine, who serves
no purpose other than as an authority figure by which Carlsen can access
certain British government facilities; a role which could easily have been
written around or out) mean little to nothing in the grand scheme of
things.The script leaps around, playing
out the same scene using the same beats ending the same way just so it can be
repeated again until it all comes full circle (and a rather small circle, at
that).Most disappointing, though, is
that the siege of London is little more than a set of minor obstacles to drag
the runtime out a bit further.It’s
almost an afterthought rather than a planned set piece.Lifeforce
is a mess of a film.In its desire to
achieve an epic sense of scope (evidenced right off the bat by Henry Mancini’s bombastic, symphonic
score), it loses sight of its story in a forest of details it doesn’t take the
time to flesh out satisfactorily.Despite
its good looks and infrequent moments of enjoyableness, it is a fairly dull,
dry affair.A bit like the prey of the
space vampires.

MVT:The level of production
value and the special effects work are very impressive.No surprise since John Dykstra was involved.If
nothing else, between the effects and the striking beauty of Ms. May, the film is never ugly to
behold.

Make or Break:The scene
involving one Patrick Stewart is one
step beyond ridiculous in a film loaded with ridiculous scenes.I actually verbalized the sympathy I had for
the actors while watching it unfold.

Welcome

The Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema is a podcast discussing all films genre related; we cover everything from horror to Wuxia, samurai films to art house films, women in prison films to blaxploitation, direct to video 80's action films to spaghetti westerns, Kung-Fu to Polizia films and everything in between.. Join Big Willy and The Samurai as they bring class to the trash...